Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji are four independent Pacific Island countries that comprise the inter-Governmental Melanesian Spearhead Group. (FLNKS or Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste, a group of pro-independent parties in the French Territory of New Caledonia is a fifth member.) MSG’s Tendai Chigwada is in New Zealand to identify opportunities that could promote MSG export products to New Zealand. Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) was formed in 1986 with a focus on promoting economic growth among Melanesian countries. It is headquartered in Port Vila, Vanuatu. MSG member countries form the bulk of the Pacific Island population are larger in size and richer in natural resources than Polynesian island nations. The MSG members are signatories to the Melanesian Spearhead Group Trade Agreement, a sub-regional preferential trade agreement established to foster and accelerate economic development through trade relations between member nations.

Samoa’s beauty products, agribusiness and tourism projects have stirred interest in a delegation of visiting Japanese businesspersons late last month.The 15-member delegation, comprising representatives from 12 Japanese companies was led by Ryuzo Saito, Director of the Tokyo based Pacific Islands Centre (PIC), which is part of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s Pacific Trade & Invest (PT&I) Network.A series of one-on-one meetings were held between Samoan businesses and the visiting delegation, which saw “Positive progress,” according to a PIC spokesperson. “Business matchings among agriculture sector and beauty-related companies went especially well with fruitful discussions in the tourism sector as well.”

Pacific Island countries face unique development challenges. They are far away from major markets, often with small populations spread across many islands and vast distances, and are at the forefront of climate change and its impacts. Because of this, much research has focused on the challenges and constraints faced by Pacific Island countries, and finding ways to respond to these. This paper is one part of the Pacific Possible series, which takes a positive focus, looking at genuinely transformative opportunities that exist for Pacific Island countries over the next 25 years and identifies the region’s biggest challenges that require urgent action.

The country scan focused on identifying gaps and potential entry points for CTA’s follow-up work on strengthening the agriculture–nutrition nexus in Samoa with NUS and other strategic partners. The emphasis was on identifying existing nutrition capacity and the main nutritional challenges faced. For example, the study identified severe wasting among children 0-59 months (4%) and moderate to severe stunting (5%) in the same age group, high incidence of anemia in children under 2 and pregnant women with higher incidences in North Upolu and the rest of the Upolu island. The rapid scan also looked at initiatives that have been implemented to try to improve the nutrient intake of at-risk populations. FAKTS, a grassroots womens’ organisation in Samoa, works in Upolu and with schools, including pre-schools. Hence, they provide a good entry point for CTA and others in efforts aimed at strengthening the agriculture-nutrition nexus and addressing priority nutrition concerns.

The Pacific Island region is in the midst of a nutrition and epidemiological transition, experiencing under and over nutrition, infectious and non-communicable diseases. Extensive changes have been occurring in diets in the region, with an increasing reliance on imported foods and declining food self-sufficiency. Imported and processed products such as rice, bread and noodles are increasingly replacing traditional staples; meat products are replacing fish; and sugary products are replacing traditional snacks such as fruits. Available data suggests that food energy availability and fat/oil availability have increased considerably in recent decades and the increasing imports in food parallels increasing energy density and consumption.

The coastal and inland fisheries, tropical climate and fertile soils of South Pacific nations support the production of fresh ingredients that are healthy, nutritious and vitamin rich. Although traditional Pacific cuisine based on these fresh local ingredients is alive and well in the homes of Pacific Islanders, much of the food served in the tourism industry is imported and fails to deliver an authentic South Pacific cuisine experience to visitors. Many Pacific tourism menus are based on Western-style dishes which require the importation of significant amounts of food from overseas (estimated to comprise up to 80-90% of food consumed in some tourism operations for example). Some menus do offer ‘Pacific food’. For the most part this cuisine is often inauthentic and reflects what has come to be expected as Pacific Island ‘tourism food’ at themed island-night events, and is more often than not a mere parody of traditional foods. This is a lost opportunity for both the countries of the South Pacific and the visitors they host.

Robert Oliver is a world renowned New Zealand chef and TV presenter. He is author of two award-winning Pacific cook books, which were written with a vision of connecting the Pacific’s agriculture and tourism sectors using a ‘farm-to table’ approach. By stimulating local economies, this approach to local cuisine and agricultural products could become a key development tool for island states. What inspired you to become a chef and – in particular – develop such a passion for local cuisine? I was born in New Zealand but was raised in the Pacific Islands where food is not just something to eat but a way of communicating and sharing. I have always loved food and being brought up in a culture that uses food as a way of sustaining communities and relationships really appeals to me.I realised early on that I had an aptitude for cooking so I worked really hard for years to develop my skills. My early career was in New York and I was fortunate enough to work for a woman, Mary Cleaver, who was a real pioneer in the movement for sourcing local food.

Dynamic Trade Policy for Small Island Developing States: Lessons for the Pacific from the CaribbeanJuly 2016, Commonwealth Trade Policy Discussion Papers
Small island developing states (SIDS) have common economic challenges and are faced with high costs for energy, infrastructure, transportation, trade logistics and public administration. These challenges are increasingly undergirded by new concerns such as the high incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, demographic transitions, high levels of outward migration, and the rising cost of adapting to climate change. There is therefore an increased need for small states to pursue a multifaceted, innovation driven growth agenda and for development agencies to rethink development options and strategies. From a trade standpoint, these countries are now required to break out of the commodity and low value-added traps that have historically affected the agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and wider service sectors. This has become particularly urgent in the context of anaemic growth among traditional trade partners in the developed market economies. As such, the issue of how SIDS can enhance productive capacity, export diversification and global competitiveness by moving up global value chains needs to be considered. This paper aims to examine the growth and trade performance of the Caribbean and Pacific regions and evaluates the trade policy framework and its scope for economic transformation.

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